The dulling of the day
by EndearedDarkness
Summary: This is an excerpt of what will be a full length multi chapter story revolving around the German brothers. Expect that to begin soon enough. This story will stay up until it makes an appearance in the full length. This part is a re-write that was requested by a very dear friend. Enjoy.


Gilbert froze in place as the gunshot rang out into the warm, summer air, eyes widening at the almost deafening sound. Ludwig was in front of him, arms outstretched to either side. The taller male jolted slightly as the bullet buried itself in his body before losing balance and dropping to the ground. Gilbert fell to his knees beside the blond, mind far from noticing the way the dirt pressed into the knees of his jeans, staining them. There was no way that this could be happening, surely he was being held hostage within some form of inexplicably terrifying dream, he had to be. His younger brother was surely not lying in front of him, slowly bleeding out from the bullet wound.

"...Brother..." Ludwig's tone was strained, the pain visible in both expression and voice. Gilbert's eyes snapped to Ludwig's, which were half-lidded.

"Ludwig, please, just stop this. Stop it. Get up, like you always do, and tell me that you're going to be fine. This isn't okay!" Rushed words, a panicked inflection. Gilbert shifted, crossing his legs before tugging the blond into his lap with some difficulty but unmitigated care. He clung onto such a futile hope, and yet the smallest part of him had already acknowledged the fact that today would be the day on which he lost the one he held dearest, the one who gave him strength when his spirit was about to give out.

Sometimes Ludwig would come across Gilbert, head in his hands and shoulders curled forward as feeble noises of upset escaped from his lips. He would pull Gilbert into a warm embrace, staying there and holding him for as long as it took him to calm down.

It seemed that today the roles were somewhat reversed, although Ludwig still tried to stay strong for his big brother. He could not show weakness, not even in his final minutes.

Ludwig forced a small smile onto his face, the mere gesture bringing tears to Gilbert's brilliantly vermillion eyes.

"It... God, it hurts..." The blond raised a hand, cupping Gilbert's cheek from below. Gilbert quickly removed the hand from his face and took it into his own, interlocking their fingers and immediately feeling Ludwig grip onto him. How was it possible that such a regular and wonderful day could become sour so quickly? Gilbert's eyes flicked down to the wound, clear on the other's body as it was haloed by the glistening blood that pooled out from it.

"Luddy, just... Be quiet! I can call someone, an ambulance!" The albino practically whimpered, fumbling at his pocket with his free hand, an almost hesitant air about him.

"Your battery died... Remember?" Came the soft reply. "Just... stay with me... If I'm going to die, I'm..." Ludwig stopped speaking for a moment to take a deep, shuddering breath, one which sent pain wracking through him. "...I want to die holding your hand." He then managed, gazing up at Gilbert, eyes slowly dulling and losing emotion.

"Don't say that, you're not going to die. Not here, not now, in the middle of nowhere. We still have plans... Remember? We have to go out together, come on... Just get up, I'll help you to the hospital and then we can go home together and see the dogs, oh, little Blackie will have missed us... Aster and Berlitz, too, they'll be so happy to see us when we get back..." A series of choked sobs followed this. "Please, Luddy... I love you, you can't... I love you." Somehow a form of acceptance came with Gilbert's outburst, and as much as Ludwig appreciated Gilbert's words, he knew he wouldn't be seeing his dogs, or anyone else for that matter, again. For some reason he couldn't quite fathom, he didn't mind. He didn't mind that his life wouldn't continue into the next hour, but as long as Gilbert stayed with him... he didn't mind.

Ludwig could feel the warm yet dark embrace of death rising and taking a hold of him, and his cornflower blue eyes soon lost that bright glint that they retained no matter how he felt. His next movement would be his last that he had control of, and as such he took the opportunity to speak his last to his beloved brother.

"I... love you, Gilbert. I'm sorry."

Gilbert watched Ludwig's body slack, muscles losing tension. He felt the almost painful grip that the blond had kept on his hand lessen to nothing, and he knew that that was it. The smallest part of him kept fighting for hope. He slowly, very slowly, moved his still brother from his lap and looked down at him for a moment before putting his hands on Ludwig's shoulders and shaking him gently. His voice was little above a whisper.

"Please... Please, get up... Please..." After a small amount of time he righted himself, sitting up and tilting his head to the sky. The sun burned against his pale skin, unbearably hot where it had previously been pleasantly warm. Everything was too much, everything was painful as it overloaded his senses. He wailed to the heavens as he pulled Ludwig's lifeless form to his chest, feeling how torturously still his little brother's chest was, lacking the steady rise and fall as he used to breathe. Gilbert held him close and shrieked until his throat was raw from the sounds of anguish and noises of grief that had risen from his chest, reduced to broken whimpers and cries.

He managed to stand with Ludwig in a bridal hold in his arms. Gilbert pressed his lips to the blond's forehead, struggling to keep him steady, although in death he felt somewhat lighter than usual. Ludwig's eyes were still open, staring blankly into the sky as his neck lolled back when Gilbert lifted him, that beautiful cornflower blue dulled forever. The smile that Ludwig had put onto his own face in an attempt to stay strong remained there.

Gilbert tilted his head forward and pressed a kiss to Ludwig's forehead, eyes sore from the many tears that had fallen, and he began carrying him to somewhere safe. Somewhere where he could put his brother to rest after he called the police to tell of what happened and how his Ludwig had taken a bullet to save his life.

He began to carry him home.


End file.
